In another life, I would’ve been a nun. The disciplined commitment of asceticism is intellectually appealing to me, with its rejection of a personally customized life in favor of a shared devotion. This, at times, seems like it would provide a welcome mental break from decision-making and the impossibility of total integrity and general frivolous busyness.
Alas, I work a job, live in (capitalist icon) NYC, am married, and am trying to be (of all things) and artist. As someone who grew up a little suspicious of comfort, for this week’s HomeWork, here are a few objects that bring more ease to my life. The items below are mostly smaller material things, but it must be said that it’s also easier to indulge in comfort-enhancing conveniences now that I make more money than I did five or ten years ago. Things like taking a taxi or Uber in a pinch, buying lunch at work, and getting massages more frequently cost more money than I could’ve paid at other points in my life.